Pac-Man is one of those games that just works, even after all these years. You start in a maze full of tiny dots, chomping your way through while those four ghosts—Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde—chase you down. At first, it feels simple, but then the speed picks up, and suddenly you're sweating over whether to grab that power pellet or just book it to the next corner.

The charm’s in the little things—the way Pac-Man’s mouth opens and closes, the ghosts’ dumbfounded look when you turn the tables on them, even that iconic wakka wakka sound. It’s weirdly satisfying to clear a whole maze, though good luck doing that once the ghosts get faster. I still panic when Blinky turns red.

Fun fact: The original designer, Toru Iwatani, supposedly got the idea from a pizza missing a slice. Makes sense—Pac-Man’s basically a hungry little wedge trying not to get eaten himself. Still holds up today, especially if you like games that don’t need a manual to enjoy.